Английский язык. Ч. 1. Гималетдинова Г.К - 12 стр.

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quently the accent is identified with farm-workers, sometimes considered stupid
by city folk. While all other varieties of English have been increasingly accepted
on mainstream television and radio, Westcountry remains the Cinderella among
accents, confined to comedy and gardening programmes.
       To see the likely direction of change for the future, we need to look at the speech
of young people. Here we find several interesting developments. One is a spread of a
light London accent over much of the country – especially in areas like the West Country
where it replaces the low-prestige local accent. Another is an openness, through the
media, to American and Australian influences. The Australian effect is quite recent, and
results from the huge popularity of Australian TV soap operas Neighbours and Home
and away. Strangely enough, this does not usually mean the adoption of vocabulary:
nobody says sidewalk instead of pavement, or gas instead of petrol, however many
American films they watch. It is rather the phrases, idioms and grammatical forms which
are contagious. No way has caught on, as in the form: “No way am I going to go out with
him.” The use of the word like as a sentence-filler has become very common: “She was
like really upset, and she just like walked out.”
       Americans and Australians sometimes use a rising, question-type intonation on
statements, often in the middle or at the end of sentences: “I spoke with my teacher (ris-
ing intonation), and he said I had to redo the test.” This is used to engage the attention
of the listener; it means “Do you remember my teacher?” or “Are you listening?” To the
great dismay of the older generation, this intonation is becoming very popular in Britain.
                                          Словарь
nasty – неприятный, скверный                         slight admixture – легкая примесь
imagine – воображать, представлять                   attitude to – отношение к
not to understand a word – не понимать ни            depend on – зависеть от
    слова                                            range – ряд, сфера, область
to die out – вымирать                                to be associated with – ассоциироваться с
accent – акцент                                      criminal – преступник
distinctive – отличительный, характерный             sensible – разумный, здравомыслящий
variation – разновидность, вариант, откло-           so-called – так называемый
    нение                                            consequently – следовательно, поэтому, в
vowel – гласная                                          результате
differ from – отличаться от                          identify with – устанавливать тождество
rhyme – рифмоваться                                  mainstream n – основное направление
intonation pattern – интонационная модель            mainstream a – представляющий боль-
base on – опираться на что-либо                          шинство; конформистский
the upper class – верхушка общества, ари-            confine to – ограничивать, придерживать-
    стократы                                             ся чего-л.
received pronunciation – общепризнанное (счи-        industrial region – промышленный район
    тающееся правильным) произношение                to accept – принимать, допускать
majority – большинство
     Упражнение 1. Найдите в тексте:
     а) синонимы к следующим словам и выражениям: unpleasant, to study,
to comprehend, to disappear, to stay, to be problematic for sb., difference, most
of (people), to be thought, rather;
     b) антонимы к следующим словам: to appear, weak, difficult, beautiful,
boring, clever, tiny.
       Обобщение лексического и грамматического материала
     Упражнение 2. Переведите следующие предложения с английского